Though most of us have a hard time getting up from the couch and going to the gym, the people on this list have shown maximum commitment to their goals and made it to the top. They’ve had their fair share of sacrifices, but they’ve also enjoyed the wealth and social benefits that come with making it big in the bodybuilding world and beyond. For these A-listers, pumping iron became a full-time job, and it paid off well.
So can you guess who are the richest bodybuilders in the world? Read on to find out!
#7. Mike O’Hearn: $2.5 Мilion
Mike O’Hearn is a former professional bodybuilder who has a net worth of $2.5 million dollars. Although coming from humble beginnings, Mike has been in the spotlight for over 20 years, appearing on over five hundred magazine covers and winning 4 Mr. Universe titles. Together with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mike was voted as one of the 12 greatest physiques of all time by the fitness industry.
#6. Dorian Yates: $4 Мillion
The 90’s were a great time for bodybuilding, giving birth to bodybuilding icons such as Dorian Yates, who is one of the most famous Mr. Olympia champions of all time. This English former professional bodybuilder won the Mr. Olympia title 6 times in a row, holding the title from 1992 to 1997, earning an income of $600,000 dollars during that time. In total, Dorian has a net worth of four million dollars.
#5. Phil Heath: $5 Million
With 7 Mr. Olympia titles in total, Phil “The Gift” Heath has earned himself $700,000 dollars during the past three years as a holder of the title. Starting out in 2003 as a light heavyweight champion, by 2008 he was already placing in the top 3 on the Mr. Olympia stage. He eventually won a ground-breaking 7 Mr. Olympia titles, which means he’s tied with Arnold Schwarzenegger, and it puts him right behind Lee Haney and Ronnie Coleman who have 8 victories each. He has appeared on hundreds of magazine covers and has released four training DVD’s. Today, he’s worth approximately five million dollars.
#4. Ronnie Coleman: $10 Million
Ronnie Coleman is one of the greatest stars in the history of bodybuilding and one can freely say that Schwarzenegger aside, he is the most famous bodybuilder today. With 8 Mr. Olympia wins in a row, Coleman has experienced all the perks of being in the limelight, amassing a net worth of $10 million dollars over the years. Apart from his numerous wins, he is famous for his crazy heavy lifting style and amazing work ethic. In other words, he worked his a*s off and got what he truly deserved! And here’s an interesting fact: Coleman has a B.S. in accounting, so we assume he knows how to handle his big pile of money!
#3. Jay Cutler: $30 Million
In third place we have Ronnie Coleman’s eternal rival and fellow bodybuilder, Jay Cutler. Unfortunately for Cutler, he was a top bodybuilder during the era where Coleman was dominating, which meant he was often the holder of second place. Still, he has won the Mr. Olympia contest a total of 4 times. And when it comes to finances and entrepreneurship, he came out to be the smarter guy. He developed his own style of personal branding and went on to become a successful businessman with his own popular brand. As the third richest bodybuilder in the world, Cutler has a net worth of $30 million.
#2. Rich Gaspari: $90 Million
Rich “The Dragon Slayer” Gaspari is a retired bodybuilder who has built a great career for himself after deciding it was time to put the weights down. And you may have not heard of him, but we bet you’ve seen or even bought his supplements. Gaspari’s best wins are considered to be his IFBB Mr. Olympia runner-up in 1986, 1987 and 1988. Eventually, he started his own line of supplements called Gaspari Nutrition, which has seen great success. He was given the Muscle Beach Hall of Fame award in 2011, and the Arnold Classic Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013. How rich is he? We’d say filthy rich with just 10 million dollars short of being worth 100 million dollars.
#1. Arnold Schwarzenegger: $400 Million
Of course, the ultimate number one on this list is The Austrian Oak, Arnold Schwarzenegger! Decades after retiring from bodybuilding, the Terminator star and ex Governor of California is still at the top of the game. His “rags to riches” story is still an inspiration to many aspiring bodybuilders around the world. Apart from bodybuilding and politics (as if it wasn’t enough), he also had a good acting career. So far he has amassed $400 million dollars in net worth, and if we dare say, he earned every cent of it!